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>> you are looking at the view from the washington monument, up to the capitol building on the national mall in washington, d.c. where, in exactly one hour,

president barack obama will be publicly sworn in for his second term as the 44th president of the united states. good morning. i'm gwen eiffel and welcome to his pbs news hour special coverage of today's nailingration. >> i'm jeffrey brown. it's a bright sunny day here in washington. temperatures remain in the 30's. that's a bit warmer than four years ago for the president's first inauguration. that of course saw a record-setting crowd, nearly 2 millioneople. no one is expecting anything quite like that this time around but still, folks have been finding spaces on the mall tonight since the sun came up. you can see them setting up spots now. we will be covering the entire inaugural ceremony live. and if you're not at your tv you can watch our live stream on our home page at news hour.pbs.org or follow us on twitter. >> this earmarks the 150th anniversary of the man'spation proclamation. you can see bill and hillary

clinton on the podium. there are also people there celebrating the election of the first african-american president. president obama is only the 16th sitting chief executive to be returned to office. he is the first president since dwight eisenhower to win two consecutive elections with more than 51% of the popular vote. he won for the 372 electoral votes to mitt romney's 206 and spent part of the morning at the white house having coffee with bipartisan leadership. >> this is the second time the president had his inauguration on the celebration of martin luther king, jr. and it's actually a ceremonial event. the 20th amendment to the constitution mandates that newly elected mandates take place on january 20th and several times that happened on the sunday. and followed by the pomp and pageantry on the following

monday. >> both president obama and vice president biden took their official oaths of office why yesterday. >> i barack hussein obama swear -- >> supreme court justice john roberts swore in the first family. justice sotomayor did the honor at the vice president's residence at the united states naval observe tore in washington. >> and both families attended a church service at the episcopal church directly opposite the white house. moments ago the limousine carrying the obamas and the bidens arrived at the capital after the 12 block trip up pennsylvania avenue from the white house. >> joining us, our news hour regular column younist mark shields and new york sometimes columnist mark brooks. >> big day, gwen. it is a big day. it lacks the inherent drama and

expense of the new first inaugural. this is important. i think it's a defining moment for the second inaugural, the president at the top of his popularity over the past three years and this is a chance t lay out what he wants to do, i think, in broad terms and specifically of course in the the state of the union. >> what do you say about the second inaugural? >> it's a ritual. there's a lot of celebrities in the crowd. i learned he join us franklin roosevelt as the only president to take the oath four times. he did it over two terms though. >> do you want to explain that? >> well he did it twice the first time because of roberts and then he did it twice this time because of sunday. >> yterd,ober read from a piece of paper when he administered the formal oath. >> it's experience. you learn from experience. today it will be how obama tackles the speech.

in the past it has been a volley and government. the democrats typically say, well, government can do this or can't do that ask so it's really a series of arguments over the role of government and the second thing i'm curious to know about is how tough they were in a pretty partisan atmosphere. he has gotten tougher over the past couple of years with the opposition. how feist you he i he during the speech. >> things people have picked up in this run up to this inauguration is that the president four years ago in his speech came tout and he actually made a comment about how he was going to to bring an end to the petty grievances and false promises in washington. now four years later was that a false promise? >> yes. i mean, the president, i think, understandably confident and an historic election and all of that perhaps overstated what could be done. this is one place where he seen having come fiercely short and it's in bringing that sense to

washington of bipartisanship and of working together and overcoming partisanship and his defenders and supporters will say oh, the republicans have been intransient and small minded and all of that but the reality is washington is a more polarized place than when he took the oath four years ago. >> you say you're looking to see how tough he is. are you looking for specifics as in here is what i want to do the next four years or more tone. >> it's more tone. the presidents don't get in specifics. they say where we are as a country and fowsh years ago he talked about the crises we were facing and then he hit the themes, the historical themes of sacrifice for country, party unity. for obama the key theme is justice. if you go back to his major speeches, he tends to talk about a bargain between the american people and the government that if you play by the rules you will see the benefits and government has to be there to give you the benefits if you play by the rules. >> we're looking at the mall where everyone is happy and

waving and one thing i have to say aft having been on the mall four years ago, it was really cold. and -- >> you want to say how warm you are today, right? >> i'm very warm in the presence of my dear friends but also curious how different a second inauguration feels. >> i think it is. it's still to be celebrated and the re-election of president obama means that the first one wasn't a fluke and that's important. and i think it's especially -- i think it's especially important for african-americans that he has been re-elected and it puts in the serious ranks of chief executive and i agree with david this is a broad-brush time. i doubt there will be a sound of trumpets but i think we will see the theme of what he wants the second amendment to be about. >> we just saw the sons of vice president biden walk in and they're carrying the bibles which will swear in their father. >> we're also joined by three

historians today, news hour regular george smith of george mason university and george reed of harvard and beverly of yale university. beverly there are a lot of connections to today, martin luther king, civil war, all kinds of things. >> it is a great day of anniversaries so it is martin luther king day as we know and also the 50th anniversary of king's speech in washington on this same site. we are looking at the sesquicentennial of the civil war and also of the emancipation proclation and the 100th anniversary there and it's a day with historical significance and i think luckily these are the kinds of moments that barack obama tends to shine. >> george washington gave the shortest speech ever, four sentences, 135 words or something like that. what are we expecting today?

>> we don't expect history to repeat itself. george washington at that point was rather p.o.ed at his treatment in the media of the day. george washington,his priva secretary said no sound on earth could compete with that of george washington swearing a blue streak. short of that, he didn't want to run for a second term anyway so he gave his very short, very odd, almost dare to congress. >> we are watching the first daughters and i guess the first mother-in-law walk through the marion robertson, ma leaand sasha obama. ma leais 14 and sasha is 11. they are dressed head to toe in jay crew. >> thank you for the fashion. >> i will be keeping up with the fashion all day. >> what do you look to in the past when you look at a second inaugural?

>> i think it's another affirmation of the american system, have people out on the mall, see the president and the transfer of power and that's the glory of american system and that's what george washington brought, the first person to give up power, no one thought he was going to do it. even though it's a ceremony but it's a ceremony that is -- it bring's lot to our country and to our nation. >> is it one of tho ceremonies, do you agre with beverly and richard that the second time in many respects, speaks more to what people's expectations are of their president than the first time. >> there's been an affirmation of what braun did by a majority of american people. and it turns out, a bigger majority than people thought. many people thought he wasn't going to win at all so this is, i think, have he very important. there's not a same sense of excitement but it is much more important. >> we just saw bill russell on the screen and i have to use my boston sports record when i see somne like that. >> i do fashin, he does -- >> the other thing, talking

about a second inaugural, everybody knows the president now. so beverly, how can he differ or how can he be more inspirational? how does he speak to on audience that now knows him? >> unfortunately the track record on this front is not great in the 20th century. obama has been having dinners with historians. i don't think any of us -- having dinner with the long historians over the past few weeks, to look back both at second inaugurals and second term and they have been succeeded on eisenhower because eisenhower is really the only president in the 20th century to have what people would argue is a better second term than his first term. in terms of the speech itself, i think it's right that we're looking at a question of tone. we're looking at kind of how far obama is going to go in terms of the part san question, and it's really a speech that you make for history as much as for all of those happy people on the mall. >> i have to say, as we look at

the platform there, that's quite an elaborate construction by the way, just in case you're wondering. it's 10,000 square feet. ta takes three months to build and they have to do it every four years so we in washington have been able to watch all of this construction going on. i saw on our went you have an interview with the architect who said this is the only thing he is thinking about during the entire -- what can go wrong. we're thinking about pomp and history and circumstance and he is thinking what happens if the lights go out. now we look at the second lady of the united states, dr. jill biden on her way to the podium as well. >> richard, what do you think about the second speeches as opposed to the first, speaking to an audience that knows you already. >> the greatest inaugural address in history is the second inaugural address which is lincoln which some people say surpasses the gettysburg address. it's the best lay sermon no history. >> and dr. jill bide ep is

accompanied by honey alexander, the wife of senator lamar alexander. and by debby boehner, wife of house speaker john boehner. sorry to interrupt you there. >> more recently, you may disagree with the content and the tone but no one will dispute the fact that george w. bush was aiming for the bleachers with his second inaugural with what he called his freedom speech which is -- in terms of projecting american force, moral and military around the world in the wake of 9/11 and the doctrine of preemptive military action. >> you knows the reference to lincoln, we talk about being in a divided america now. in many ways we are politically. but you think about lincoln and that inauguration, both of his, it was a different level. >> different level all together. he is involved in the conflict where half a million people would be killed, the end of

channeled slavery. a lot is at stake. we're fighting now but not anywhere like that, thank god. >> we're about to see the introduction of the first lady of the united states, michelle obama. as you watched her grow in this role the last four years, what do you think? >> well she has done -- she is a, the most popular person in america just about. she has firmed up the sense of this family as a very responsible family that people can relate to, which was not always going to be obvious. so i think she has had that important role. she has not had the role hillary clinton had of getting involved in public policy. and i wouldn't be surprised -- and this is something she is capable of doing so i wouldn't be surprised over the second term if she drifts more in into that role. more publicly, i think she has had a significant role behind the scenes. >> jill biden has just been introduced to the crowd and taken her place. mark? >> i think it's remarkable, when she started in the campaign in 2008, where the remark about,

i've never been more proud of my country, she was attacked and became a political listening rod, and it's been a very conscious, concentrated and effective effort to bring her back to the point where she is a figure of towering popularity and influence in the country. i agree with david that the family, if anying, seems central to their reality. i mean there's no question about it. and so i think, in that sense, the one thing that surprises me, she has not taken on an issue that one would call at all controversial, and i would be interested if she does that the second term, maybe -- not to the drag of hillary clinton, but something maybe moving on in the military families. >> as you're talking about michelle obama we're watching her about to be introduced as she approaches the top of that -- of the podium there. she is -- of curse we can't it. michelle obama is a fashion icon among many other things and she

is -- everybody has been closely watching to see what she would have on. she wering a naviy tom brown coat and dress. fabric was developed based on a men's silk tie and j. crew belt and shoes and much discussed new hairstyle. >> i know silk ties. david, do you want to comment? >> mark is so much more up on that subject than i am. >> should we stop him? >> we should stop right there before it gets out of control. we're about to hear the introduction of first lady michelle obama. she will be accompanied by the stairs by nancy erikson, the secretary of the senate. karen hoss, mrs. iris wine stawn, wife of chuck schumer, and the wife of harry reed and mr. paul pelosi, the husband of house minority leader nancy pelosi.

>> announcer: ladies and gentlemen, the first lady of the united states, mrs. michelle obama, accompanied by secretary of the senate nancy erikson, clerk of the house of representatives, karen h0. 0s, mrs. schubert, mrs. reed and -- [cheering] >> next up we're going to see the approach and about to be announced of vice president, the world's happiest guy, bill biden. don't think we have ever seen him except in times of national crises without that smile on his face. >> and why not today. >> it's the effect of joe biden's remarks on this administration. they were an odd couple. he was the hot to barack obama's

cool. >> he was the punch line for a lot of late-night monologues. if anything, joe biden has emerged in this administration has a key player and indispensable player in dealing with the congress and the political part of politics, the people part of politics which the president does not spend a lot of time, effort, or energy on. >> do you agree with that. >> if you look at the deal with congress, they tried every other relationship, the obama, the reed-mcconnell relationship but it was the biden relationship that set it off. he know he how to run a meeting. he runs through them. that's how you run a meeting. he know he how to do that. >> recently the president at a press conference had to say i'm a friendly guy, i'm a people guy, but joe biden really is that. >> joe biden is. and joe biden's excesses of being a people person and

gregarious and enormously approachable, have been very important to this administration and to what david pointed out what happened, particularly in the last couple of months. briefly, we always here this is the most important vice president in the history of the world. how does he rank as vice presidents go? >> hectually just may be -- this may be one of the rare occasions where the superlative applies. we heard it about dick cheney in a different way. cheney, you had a sense -- cheney was in many ways provided the intellectual framework particularly for a lot of bush foreign policy. vice president biden used the senate and the relationships there and his practical skills has been invaluable in terms of promoting the agenda. >> now we have the marine band about introduce the vice president of the united states. >> announcer: ladies and gentlemen, the vice president of the united states, joseph r. biden, accompanied by inaugural coordinator for the joint

congressional committee on ceremonies, kelly fado. senate department sergeant at arms, martina bradford. house saght at arms carry handley. harry reed and nancy pelosi. >> i said that was the marine band. it was the u.s. army herald trumpets. >> have to get that right. >> what were you saying mark? joe, joe, joe? >> i think this concerns what we were talking about. >> our first glimpse of the president as he walks through the hall, accompanied as you can see behind by chuck schumer head of the joint committee and next to him, lamar alexander of the bipartisanship on display and behind him the leadership of the house and the senate.

>> it is a ceremony whereby patternship is on display. >> it's university of the few. >> some of the cummings are a little chillier than others. >> beverly, you were shaking your head. >> when you go back and look at past inaugurals, every president comes up and says this is a moment for us all 0 come together and put aside our petty grievances and it bears little relationship to what comes next. >> we have heard people say the second inauguration is as important as the first but as you watch this and compare it to four years ago, it's not the same sizzle but it's certainly something. >> it's something, as i said before. it's about the reaffirmation or the confirmation that people do in fact like barack obama. barack obama and his family. the first time, the whole notion of history -- we were talking about history today but the idea of a black man becoming the president of the united states, something i never thought i would see in my lifetime, was something that that was very emotional. >> all on its own. >> without any other ceremonial

thing, just that one fact because many peop thought they would never see the day so there was happiness and crying at that time. >> but a different feel this time. >> different feel. >> because it's four years of what reality is? >> four years of reality. as i said, it's the sort of thing where we know who barack obama is and we have this sense that people -- >> but it's not same way it was before. >> that's an amazing cheering shot. one of the things you can see on the mall, they have jumbotrons set up so even if you can't get close enough to see the president walk out they're seeing what we're seeing which is the first glimpse of the president walking. >> we say it's not as many people as last time but for the people in the mall -- >> get a shot of the trumpets, the heraldry and the pageantry. >> mark? >> i was thinking 28 years ago i was covering walter mondale's campaign. he was in los angeles.

>> we're going to stop. the president of the united states. [trumpet fanfare] ♪ ♪ . >> announcer: ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states, barack h. obama, accompanied by staff director are to ceremonies, jean borocisz, terrance gainer, house sergeant at arms, paul irving, chairman of the joint congressional committee on ceremonies, charles schumer, senator lamar alexander, the speaker of the house of representatives, john boehner, senate majority leader harry reed, house majority leader eric examine for and house democratic leader nancy pelosi. [applause] >> i think when you walk through the archway and behold what we just saw, that is a spectacular moment. no matter how many times, even if you get two chances at it,

it's quite remarkable. >> it was the people that held him up, one of the things the white house feels about this election is 2459 their supporters really had their back and they came out and voted for him. and said the last time was about the history. the people really had his back when he was under attack. >> yesterday, he turned who his daughr and said, i did it. it's those little declarations that stand out in the larger history. >> yesterday when he said "i did it" i think he was talking about getting it right. >> his daughter had just teased him. >> he didn't mess up. >> it's not his fault. he is there with his daughters and his wife is surrounded by the robinsons. yesterday when he got the formal oath of office, the official one, brace for joe boyd en,he was sworn in on the robinson family bible. today he say will be holding two, one a abraham lincoln bible and the other a traveling bible that was owned by martin luther king, jr. at the time he was

passing through dexter baptist church in montgomery. we know the biography of the man, only the third president of the united states to move from the senate to white house and he is not for lack of trying on the part of many people including many people on the podium. he is born in hawaii, raised mostly in honolulu except for a few years when he moved around with his mother and lived in indonesia. before he was elected president two years ago he was a first term president from -- first term senator from illinois and he came to knowledge, wonder what joe biden is saying to him right now. that's something you want the -- that's a big deal. he's a big deal. >> make sure the mike was off. >> he has been married to michelle obama 21 years. he is 51. she just turned 49 years old. i was at a ceremony yesterday when where they sang happy birthday to the first lady and he was reelected by a wide

margin after a long and tough election. this is the tab low you look at every four years and just think to yourself, this is democracy changing hands. >> this is it, when you see that grand sweep of the people, and it closeness on the small group up there on the podium as well as the former president of the united states, george h. w. bush. >> and his brother is behind him. >> george h. w. bush is not present. justice sotomayor, scalia and roberts. and james taylor, and he will be performing later. >> we're waiting. chuck schumer will be here. >> just to complete that one story, jessie jackson was running against walter mondale. it was a mondale rally and it was a african-american letter carrier. i said who are you for? he said i support jessie jackson because my son instead of

wanting to be magic johnson, he wants -- >> now t moan is beginning mark. charles schumer of new york, the chairman of the joint committee on inaugural ceremony. >> mr. president, mr. vice president. members of congress, all who are present, and to all who are watching, welcome to the capital and to his celebration of our great democracy. [applause] [cheering] >> this is the 57th inauguration of an american president. and no matter how many times one witnesses this event, it's simplicity, its innate majesty, and most of all, it's meaning, that sacred yet cautious entrusting of power from we the people to our chosen leader, never fails to make one's heart beat faster as it will today with the inauguration of

president barack h. obama! [cheering] >> now, we know that we wld not be here today where it not for those who stand guard around the world to preserve our freedom. to those in our armed forces, we offer our infinite thanks. for your bravery, your honor, your sacrifice. >>his democracy of ours was forged by intellect and argument, by activism and blood. and, above all, from john adams to elizabeth katie stanton to martin luther king, by a stubborn adherence to the notion

that we are all created equal and that we deserve nothing less than had aate republic worthy of our consent. the theme of this year's inaugural is face america's futue. the perfect embodiment of this confidence in the ongoing success of our collective journey is an event from our past. i speak of the inprobable completion of the capitol dome and cappening it with the statue of freedom which occurred 150 years ago in 1863 when abraham lip con took office two years earlier, the dome above us was a half built eyesore, conventional wisdom was that it should be left unfinished until the war ended, giv the travails and financial needs of the times. but to president lincoln, the half finished dome symbolized the half divided nation.

lincoln said, if people see the capital going on, it is a sign we intend the union shall go on. so despite the conflict which engulfed the nation and jownded the city, the dome continued to rise. on december 2, 1863, the statue of freedom, a woman, was placed on top of t dome where she still stands today. in a sublime irony it was a former slave, now free american, phillip reed, who helped to cast the bronze statue. our present times are not as despair owing in 1863 but in 2013 far too many doubt the future of our great nation and our ability to tackle our own era's half finished domes. today's problems are infractable they say, the mes are so complex, the differences in the country and the world so deep,

we will never overcome them. when thoughts like these produce anxiety, fear, and even despair, we do well to remember that americans have always been and still are a practical optimistic problem-solving people, and that, as our history shows, no matter how steep the climb, how difficult the problems, how half finished the task, america always rises to the occasion. america prevails and america prospers. [cheering] and those who bet against this country have inevitably been on the wrong side of history. so it is a good moment to gaze upward and behold the statue of freedom at the top of the capital dome. it is a good moment to gain

strength and courage and humility fromhose who are determined to cplethe ha finished dome. it is a good moment to rejoice today at this 57th presidential inaugural ceremony and it is the perfect moment to renew our collective face in the future of america. thank you and god bless these united states. >> chuck schumer, chairman of the joint committee and gave an unusually detailed seech. now to thenvocation. >> the invocation is by merley evers williams. >> to extending the promise of our nation's founding principles to all americans. mrs. evers will lead us in the invocation. >> the farmer chair of the naacp, widow of slain civil

rights leader edgar medgar evers 50 years ago this year. >> america, we are here, our nation's capital, on this day, january 21st, 2013, the inauguration of our 45th president, barack obama, we come at this time to ask blessings upon our leaders, the president, vice president, members of congress, all elected and appointed officials of the united states of america. we are here to ask blessings upon our armed forces; blessings

upon all who contribute to the essence of the american spirit, the american dream, the opportunity to become whatever our mankind, womankind allows us to be. this is the promise of america as we sing the words of belief, this is my country, let us act upon the meaning that everyone is included. may the inherent dignity and inalienable rights of every woman, man, boy and girl be honored. may all your people, especially the least of these, flourish in ourless nation. 150 years after the emancipation proclamation and 50 years after

the march on washington, we celebrate the spirit of our ancestors which has allowed us to move from a nation of unborn hopes and a history of disenfranchised folks to today's expression of a more perfect union. we ask, too, almighty, that where our paths seem divided by thorns of oppression, and riddled by pangs of despair, we ask for your guidance toward the light of deliverance. and that the vision of those who came before us and dreamed of this day, that we recognize that their visions still inspire us. they are a great cloud of witnesses, unseen by the naked

eye, but all around us, thank you for that their living was not in vein. for every mountain, you gave us the strength to climb. your grace is pleaded to continue that climb for america and the world. we now stand beneath the shadow of the nation's capital whose golden dome reflects a unity and democracy of one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. approximately 4 miles from where we are assembled, the hallowed remains of men and women rest in arlington cemetery. they who believed, fought, and died for this country. may their spirit infuse our

being to work together with the respect, enabling us to continue to build this nation, and in so doing, we send a message to the world that we are strong, fierce in our strength and ever-vigilant in our pursuit of freedom. we ask that you grant our president the will to act courageously but cautiously when confronted with danger, and to act prudently but deliberately whenhallenged by adversity. please continue to best his efforts, to lead by example, in consideration and favor of the diversity of our people. bless our families all across

this nation. we thank you for this opportunity of prior to trendsen us -- to strengthen us through the journey of the days that lie ahead. we invoke the prayers of our grandmothers who taught us to pray, "god, make me a blessing. let their spirit guide us, as we claim the spirit of old. there's something within me that holds the reigns. there's something within me that banishes pain. there's something within me i cannot explain. but all i know, america, there is something within. there is something within.

in jesus' name and the name of all who are holy and right, we pray ." amen. >> amen. [applause] >> widow of civil rights leader medgar evers, quoting from an old gospel something "something within." >> i am pleased to introduce the award-winning tabernacle choir, the brooklyn tabernacle choir, to sing "battle hymn of the republic. >> chuck schumer smiling because he represented brooklyn for many, many years.

♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ his truth is marching on ♪ mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord ♪ ♪ he is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored ♪ ♪ he has loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swi

sword ♪ ♪ his truth is marching on ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ his truth is marching on ♪ his truth is marching on

♪ in the beauty of the lilies christ was born across the sea, ♪ with a glory in his bosom, that transfigures you and me, ♪ as he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free, his truth is marching on ♪ ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ glory, glory hallelujah,

♪ for god is marching on ♪ god is marching on ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ his truth is marching on marching on ♪ ♪ his truth is marching on

>> may i just say "wow." >> the brooklyn tabernacle choir, consists of 280 members. they recorded three videos, threevd's. that was an amazing, srring performance, andou c see it just affected the crowd like a wave. battle hymn of the republic. >> please join me in wrking my colleague and -- in welcoming my colleague and friend, the senator from tennessee, honorable lamar alexander. [applause] >> lamar alexander the republican on this joint committee overseeing the inaugural ceremonies. >> mr. president, mr. vice president, ladies and gentlemen the late alex haley, the author of "roots" lived his life by these six words: find the good and praise it. today we pray the american tradition of transferring or

reaffirming immense power in the inauguration of the president of the united states. we do this in a peaceful, orderly way. there is no mob. no coup. no insur refresh your -- no sin- this is a moment when al s will remember. this is a moment that is our most conspicuous and enduring symbol of the american democracy. how remarkable that this has survived for so long in such a complex country, when so much power is at stake. this freedom to vote for our leaders and the restraint to respect the results. last year at mount vernon, a tour guide told me that our fir predent, george

washington, ones posed this question: what is most important, washington asked, of this grand experiment, the united states? and then washington answered his own question in this way: "not the election of the first president but the election of united states second president, the peaceful transfer of power is what will separate our country from every other country in the world." so today we celebrate the 57th inauguration of the american president, find the good and praise it. now it is my honor to introduce the associate justice of the supreme court, sonya sotomayor for the purpose of administering the oath of office to the vice

president. will everyone please stand. >> sonia sotomayor, of course, is 58 years old, the first hispanic on the court and just published her memoir last week "my beloved world." >> mr. vice president, please raise raise your right hand and repeat after me. i, joseph r. biden, junior, do solemnly swear. that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states. >> that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states. >> against all enemies, foreign and domestic. >> against all enemies, foreign and domestic. >> that i will bare true faith and allegiance to the same. >> that i take this obligation freely. >> that i take this obligation freely. >> without any mental reservation or purpose of

evasion. >> without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. >> and that i will well and faithfully discharge. >> and that i will well and faithfully discharge. >> the duties of the office on which i am about to enter. >> the duts of the office upon which i am about to enter. >> so help me god. >> so help me god. >> congratulations! [cheering] >> of course this is the second time, yesterday there were swearings in that were mandated on inauguration day. there's no set person that gets to this this. the vice president and the second lady of the u.s. and his family emblasing him. in 2009 he was sworn in by john paul stephens who was 88 years old at that time. >> gets a hug from the president. and the first lady.

>> it is my pleasure to introduce renowned musical artist, james taylor. [applause] ♪ o beautiful for spacious skies ♪ ♪ for amber waves of grain ♪ for purple mountain majesties above the frted plain ♪

♪ america! america! ♪ god shed his grace on thee ♪ and crown thy good with brotherhood ♪ ♪ from sea to shining sea! ♪ from sea to shining sea! [applause] >> from the fanfare of the brooklyn choir to the mellow solo guitar, a voice that is, i think, everyone recognized, no matter where it cos, right. >> >> he waswarded the national

medal of arts by the president. >> john g. roberts junior who will administer the presidential oath of office. everyone please rise. >> please raise your right hand and repeat after me. i barack hussein obama do solemnly swear. >> that i will faithfully execute the office of president of the united states. >> the office of president of the united states. >> and will to the best of my ability. >> and will to the best of my ability. >> preserve, protect and defend. >> preserve, protect and defend. >> the constitution of the united states. >> the constitution of the united states. >> so help you god? >> so help me god. >> congratulations, mr. president. [cheering] >> that little stutter made us

all gasp for a moment, the last four years ago when there was a little mix up. the difference now is that yesterday he was officially sworn in in a private ceremony also by justice roberts. >> it was the fourth time for the justice as well, right? >> this is the only president other than f.d.r. who has been sworn in four times. >> that's right. and f.d.r. had to win four elections to do it. >> this is a much simpler way to do it i want to go back to merley evers, and i wonder if you were strublg as i was with the history of that. >> she was calling for a feeling of unity and bringing america together. you get the sense, we hope that the president's speech continues that theme. [cannons firing] ♪ ♪

[cannons firing] >> a 21-georgia salute. nothing >> ladies and gentlemen, it is my privilege and distinct honor to introduce the 44th president of the united states of america, barack h. obama. [cheering] [cheers and applause] >> thank you [crowd chanting "obama, obama"]

>> thank you. thank you so much. vice president biden, mr. chief justice, members of the united states congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens, each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our constitution. we affirm the promise of our democracy. we were called to what binds this nation together as not the colors of our skin or the tenants of our faith, or the origins of our names. what makes us exceptional, what makes us american is our allegiance to an idea articulated in a declaration

made more than two centuries ago we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are creat created equal.[ applause] that they are endowed by their creator with certain unaliable rights among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. today we continue a never-ending journey to bridge the meaning of those words to realities of our time.

the patriots of 1776 did not fight to replace the tyranny of a king with the privileges of a few. or the rule of a mob, they gave to us a republica government of and for and by the people. entrusting each generation to keep safe our founding creed. for more than 200 years we have. through blood drawn by lash and blood drawn by sword, no union founded on the liberties of equality can survive. we made ourselves anew and vowed to move forward together. together we determined that a modern economy requires

railroads and highways to speed travel and commerce, schools and colleges to train our workers. gether we discovered that a free market only -- and fair play. together we resolve that a great nation must care for the vulnerable and protect its people from life's worst hazards and misfortunes. through it all we have never relinquished, nor have we succumb to the fiction that all society's ills can be cured through government alone. our celebration of initiatives and enterprise, our insistence on hard work and personal responsibility, these are constant in our character. we have always understood that when times change so must we. that fidelity to our funding

principles requires new responses to new challenges. our individual requires collective tion, the american people can no more meet the demands of today's world by acting alone than american soldiers that met the forces of fascism or communism with musicales and militias, no single person can train all the math and science teachers we'll need to equip our children for the future or builds the roads and networks and research labs that will bring jobs and businesses to our shores. now, more than ever, we must do these tings together as one nation and one people. this generation of americans has

been tested by crise, is that steal our resolve and proved our resistance. decade of war is now ending. an economic recovery has begun, america's pssibities are limitless for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands. youth and drive, adversity and openness. endless capacity for risk and a gift for re-invention. my fellow americans, we are made for this moment and we will seize it as long as we seize it together. for we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very

well in a growing many barely make it. we believe the prosperity must rest on the pros parrots of the thriving middle class. we know that america thrives when every person can find independence and plied in their work, on the wages of honest labor and liberating families from the brink of shard ship, we are tru toour creed when a little girl born in to the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else because she is an american, she is free and she is equal not just in the eyes of god but also in our own. we must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government, revamp our tax code,

reform our schools and empower our citizens with the skills they need to work harder and learn more, reach higher. while the means will change, our purpose endures. nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single american. that is what this moment requires, that is what will give real meaning to our freedom. we, the pple, still believe i every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. we must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. but we reject the belief that america must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future.

[ applause ] fore remember the lessons of our past when twilight years were spent in poverty and parents of a child with a disability had no where to turn. we do not believe that anyone country freedom is reserved for the lucky or happiness for the few. we recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us at any time may face a job loss or a sudden illness or a home swept away in a terrible storm. the commitments we make to each other through medicare and medicaid and social security, these things do not -- they strengthen us. they do not make us a nation of takers they free us to take the risks that make this country great.

we, the people, still believe that our obligations as americans are not just to ourselves but to all posterity. we will respond to the threat of climate change knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires and crippling drought and more powerful storms, the path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. but america cannot resist this transition. we must lead it. we cannot cede to other nations

the technology that will power new jobs and new industries we must claim its promise. that's how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national presence. our crop lands, snow-capped peaks. that is how we will preserve our anet, given to us by god, that will lead meaning to the creed that our fathers once declared. we, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war. our brave men and women ifor tempered by the flames of battle are unmatched in skill and courage.

our citizens feared by the memory of those we have lost know too well the price that is paid for liberty. the knowledge of their sacrifice will keep us forever vigilant against those who would do us harm. but we are as heirs to those that one the peace and not just the war. who turned sworn enemies in to the surest of friends, we must carry those lessons in to this time as well. we will defend our people and uphold our values through strength of arms and rule of law. we will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully not because we are naive about the dangers we face, but because engagement can more due able lift suspicious and fear. american will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every port onhe globe. we will rnew those institutions

that extend or capacity. for no one has greater space in a peaceful world than most powerful nation. we will support democracy from asia to africa. from the americas to the middle east because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom and we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice, not out of mere charity but because our time requires the constant advance of those principles that are common creed described, tolerance and opportunity. human dignity and justice. we, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths that all of us are created equal

, is the star that guides us still, just as it guided our forebearers through seneca falls, just alls it guided all those men and women sung and unsung who left footprints along this great mall to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone. to hear a king proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on earth. [ applause ] it is now our generation's path to carry on what those pioneers began. for our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. [applause] our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law. [applause]

for if we are truly created equal then surely the love we now one another must be equal as well. our jrney is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. our journey is not complete until we find a better tie welcome the thriving, hopeful immigrants who still see america as a land of opportunity, until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country. [applause] our journey is not complete unt all rchildren from the streets of detroit to the hills of appalachia to the lands of newtown, know that they are cared for and cherished and always safe from harm.

that is our generation's task. to make these words, these rights, these values of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness real for every american. being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life. it is not mean we all define liblabber tee the same way. the same path we want. progress does not compel us to settle centuries long debates about the role of government for all time. but it does require us to act in our time. for now decisions are upon us and we cannot afford delay.

we cannot mistake absolutism for principle. or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name calling as reasoned debate. we must act, we must act knowing that our work will be important, we must act knowing that today's victories will be only partial. and that it will be up to those who stand here in four years and 40 years and 400 years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare philadelphia office. my fellow americans, the oath i have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this cabinet, was an oath to god and country, not

party or faction, and we must faithfully execute that pledge during the duration of our service. but the words i spoke today are not so different from the oath that is taken each time a soldier signs up for duty, or an immigrant realizes their dream, my oath is not so different from the pledge we all make to the flag that waves above and that fills our hearts with pride, they are the words of citizens and they represent our greatest hope, you and i as citizens have the power to set this country forward. you and i as citizens have the obligation to shape the debate of our time, not only with the votes we cast but with the voices we lift in defense of our most ancient values and enduring ideas. let us each of us now embrace

with solemn duty and awesome joy what is our lasting effort. with common effort and purpose and packs and dedication, let us answer the call of history. carry in to an uncertain future the precious light of freedom. thank you, god bless you. may he forever bless these united states of america. [ applause ] >> ifill: i'm here with david brooks and mark shields we're trying to make sense of the speech. david brooks, he sounded a lot more uplifting than four years ago. >> i thought it was beautiful and effective speech. he touched on the if you want to

know strong argument. >> mark, i heard themes of collective action of what's left undone. >> i would say this. there is shorthand that i would apply to the speech it has to be us. not how am i doing, how are we doing, this is -- >> chuck humiditier is now introducing kelly clarkson, the first winner much the "american idol". >> i think she'll be singing the national anthem. beyonce is doing the national anthem. ♪

♪ my country tis of thee sweet land of liberty ♪ of thee i sing ♪ land where my father died, land of the pilgrim's pride ♪ from every mountain top ♪ let freedom ring ♪

♪ my father's god to thee ♪ author

of liberty ♪ to thee we sing ♪ long may our land be bright ♪ with freedom's holy light ♪ protect us by thy might ♪ great god our king ♪ >> grammy award winner, 0 years old, kelly clarkson. "my country tis of thee" you don't usually to hear all three versions. >> i had chance to talk to him, very down to earth, pleasant young man who lives in now the

small town of bethel, maine he said conceived in cuba. quick soon came to miami. first latino, first gay poet and youngest ever of the five poets who have read their work at the presidential inauguration. >> followed robert frost, maya angelo. >> mr. president, mr. vice president, america one today. one sun rose on us today, kindled over our shores, peeking over the smokey, greeting the faces of the great lakes

spreading a simple truth across the great plains and charging across the rockies. one ligh under each one a story told by our silent gestures moving across windows. my faith, your faith, millions of faces in morning bearers each one yawning to life, crescendoing in to our day, the penciled yellow school buses, the rhythm of traffic lights, fruit stands, apples, limes and oranges parade like rainbows begging our praise. silver trucks heavy with oil or paper, over highways alongside us on our way to clean tables,

read ledgers or save lives, to teach geometry or ring up groceries as my mother did for 20 years so i could write this poem for all of us today. all of us, as vital as the one light we move through, the same light on blackboards with lessons for the day, equations to solve, history to question or atoms imagine, the i have a dream, we all are dreaming. or the vocabulary of sorrow. the children, and forever many prayers but one light, the color

of the stained glass windows, life in to the faces of bronze statues, warmth on to the steps of our museums and park benches as mothers watch children glide through the day. one ground, our ground rooting us to every stock of cn, every head of corn, hands planning windmills in deserts and hill tops that keep us warm. hands dicking trenches, routing pipes and cables, hands as worn as my father's cutting sugar cane so my brother and i could have books and shoes. the dust of farms and deserts, cities and plains mingled by one

wind, our breath. hear it through the day's gorgeous din of honking cabs, buses launching down avenues, the symphony of footsteps and screeching subways. the unex sect song birds on your clothesline. squeaky playground swings, trains whistling across cafe tables, hear the doors we en eachay for each other saying "hello, shalom, bon journo, namest ae" in the language my mother taught me. in every language. spoken in to one wind carrying our lives without prejudice as

these words break from my lips. one sky sincethe appalachian and the plains of majesty and mississippi and colorado works their way to the sea, thank the work of our hands. finishing one more report for the boss on time, stitching another wound or uniform, the first brush stroke on a portrait or the last floor on the freedom tower jutting in to the sky that yields to our resilience. one sky, toward which we sometimes lift our eyes, tired from work, some days guessing at the weather of our lives, some days giving thanks for a love that loves you back.

sometimes praising a mother who knew how to give or forgiving a father who couldn't give what you wanted. we head ho through the rain and weight of snow or the plum blush of dusk but always, always home, always under one sky our sky and always one moon like a silent drum tapping on every rooftop and every window of one country, all of us facing the stars, hope aew constellation waiting for us to map it. waiting for us to name it together.

[ applause ] >> richard blanco you can go to the "newshour" website for the interview that aired last week. very fascinating fella. >> much of his poetry is narrative of his own experience. there he was trying to tell a narrative of all of us. >> now my privilege to introduce reverend dr. luis leon to deliver the benediction. >> one little moment of drama leading up to this, he replaced original choice for this a meg church pastor became known for his anti-gay statement. luis leon is pastor here in washington. >> let us pray. gracious and eternal god as we conclude the second inaugurati presiden oba we ask for your blessings as we seek to become in the words of martin

luther king, citizens of a beloved community, loving you and loving our neighbors as ourselves. we pray that you will bless us with your continued presence because without it, arrogance will infect our hearts, but with your blessing we know that we can break down the walls that separate us. we pray for your blessing today because without it mistrust, prejudice and rancor will rule our hearts. but with the blessing of your presence we know that we can renew the future which can best form our civic life. we pray for your blessing because without it, suspicious, despair and fear of those different from us will be our rule of life. but with your blessing we can

see each other created in your image, that unit of god's grace, unprecedented, irrefutable and irreplaceable. we pray for your blessing because without it we will see only what the eye can see, but with the blessing of your blessing we will see that we are created in your image whether brown, black or white, male or female, first genetion immiant american or daughter of the american revolution, gay or straight, rich or poor. we pray for your blessing because without it we will only see scarcity in the midst of abundance. but with your blessing we will recognize the abundance of the gifts of this good land with which you have endowed this nation.

we pray for your blessing, bless all of u privileged to be citizens and residents of this nation with a spirit of gratitude and humility that we may become a blessing among the nation, this world. we pray that you will shower with your life-giving spirit the elected leaders of this land, especially barack, our president and joe, our vice president. fill them with the love of truth and righteousness that they may serve this nation abley and be glad to do your will. endow tir hearts with wisdom and forbearance so that peace may prevail with righteousness, justice with order so that men and women throughout this nation can find with one another the fulfillment of our humanity. we pray that the president, vice

president and all in political authority will remember the words of the prophet mica, what does the lord require of you but to do justice to, love kindness and always walk humbley with god. [speaking spanish] mr. president, mr. vice president, may god bless you all your day. all this we pray in your most holy name, amen. >> interesting, because both richard blanco and reverend leon of cuban heritage put spanish at the end of the speech. >> we're going to hear the national anthem now from beyonce that's know i don't know say knowles, mega star, mega pop star, maybe the mega star.

i would note she's also going to be singing in two weeks at the super bowl. another extraordinary. >> she is the obama girls' favorite part. >> she and her husband jay-z also raised lots of money for the president. ♪ ♪o say can you see by the dawn's early light ♪ what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last♪

gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars♪ through the perilous fight o'er the ramparts we♪ watched ♪were so gallantly streaming and the rockets red glare♪ the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night♪ that our flag was still there o say does that star spangled

banner yet wave♪ o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave♪ [ cheering and applause ] >> as we have seen many times in the past that is a tough song to nail. beyonce, she found a way to do it today. >> she went off on her own has done quite well. >> now the president is about

to go have special lunch and gives us an opportunity to go back talk a little bit about what we have seen in the past hour, still with us are mark shields and david brooks and richard norton-smith and beverly. just want to go around the horn here get a sense of what you thought about that. >> i thought it was remarkable. two quick things. margaret thatcher famously observed there's no such thing -- for last 30 years or so it feels as if something like that has governed much of our own mol particulars and public life. this was a speech as emphatic as it was eloquent that challenged that notion. other thing, i thought the president made history in another way. he talked about continuity from the relative lack of drama, and second inauguration as opposed to a first. yet i tell you what, when a president says, he talks about the star that guides us still, just as it guided our forebearers through seneca falls

and stonewall, the torch may not have been passed but a. >> i feel the same way. i think it was exceptional. i thought because i studied jefferson to see him invoke the declaration of independence, to weave that through the declaration, a full-throat endorsement of american exceptionalism. very clear that he does. i thought he did very, very well. >> i'm just curious to watch the president as he leaves and shacks hands with some of his toughest critics in the house and senate on his way out. obviously not really anxious to get anywhere. he's kind of lingering. >> why not. he has -- >> he's taking in the moment. that's remarkable to watch. you don't see them turn around and say, i don't know when i'll see this again. >> he won't see it again. >> yes, he does seem happy and

relaxed and open really this time around. i would agree i found this enormously moving and a real affirmation of what i think obama in many people's minds does stand for which is this inclusive idea of what america is. and what it's become. i'm not sure that i agree with david that i found it a ringing endorsement of collective liberalism. i think it was actually a pretty safe speech in ideological terms. you look back at someone like ronald reagan or look at franklin roosevelt, you have much more kind of explicit ideological statements about government and what it is. actually the speech that it reminded me -- the most of was woodrow wilson inauguration in 1913. we are celebrating that anniversary as well, the 100th anniversary. in part because the issues are similar, clbed change now, environmental issues and taxation in banking. but the idea that people can't

do certain things on their own and we need to come together. >> david? >> let me defend myself. let me attack richard. margaret thatcher gets a bad rap for that. that was -- >> that was -- >> i've always thought she got a bad rap. of who is paying tax bills that speech was first on liberalism i do think it was the mo unapologetically liberal speech we've heard barack obama give. it was tracing american history saying that he faced to our ideals we have to change and we have to change in a collective direction. we have to guarantee equal income for women for the same work, he mentioned gay rights, mentioned climate change, he mentioned preserving medicare social security. i thought it was pretty much laying down quite liberal agenda, there was none of the bipartisan, transpartisan stuff of the first speech. and there was none of what you would call conservative speech.

there was very little when he talked about story of american history it was the story of seneca, thelma, stonewall. not the story of inventors, capitalism. that was -- that's different. >> that makes it liberal? >> i think so. these are two different areas people tend to emphasize. it was less about cap stallism or hard choices, i don't think there was a mention of terrorism. so i think it was a pretty forthrightly progressive speech. >> mark shields? >> i'd like to come down squarely on the side of my colleague in this. that the president pleaded for unity, like cats and dogs. i think talking about a liberal speech, fdr's second inaugural was -- the voices of selfishness and greed. met their match in the first administration, let it be said in the second they met their

master. that was real tough stuff. this was, i thought, very much a "we" speech as i said earlier. that's important. that we're in it together. all part of it. we have to measure what we do in the least among us that we have responsibility to each other, that we had to act together. that to me what came through rather than heroic narrative of the single individual standing up. i think it was a different barack obama. i don't see it as liberal. i see it as humanitarian. >> what we're looking at here we watch people leaving the mall,e kw that four years ago there was 1.8 million people. this year we haven't heard latest numbers, the estimate was that it was between five and 700,000 people which it should be said still remarkable number. there is secretary of state

nominee, current senator from massachusetts john kerry. >> we're told that the president will soon sign the nominations. within a few minutes, i believe. john kerry and others. >> and jack lew about to become secretary of the treasury. rand cia chief as well as -- >> chuck hagel. >> you wanted to jump in? >> i guess i could come down in the middle of all of you. i agree with everyone. i think it was liberal speech as well. we talked about fdr all these things have to be seen in context. certainly barack obama is coming to the perhaps end of the reagan revolution compared to what we have had in the past. it was ringing endorsement. selectivism in a way takes on the notion of the takers, that whole idea very ideological.

>> what else did you hear that was -- you were talking about thomas jefferson, what other reference did you hear? >> references to lincoln, he uses the declaration -- lincoln's appropriation of the declaration to talk about how we as a nation have to come together. i was very struck by this notion of unionism. these united states of america, not america's one nation but the notion that people coming together and by doing all of those kinds of things i think he is forcing this issue. >> actually looking at jay-z and paul ryan. beyonce and paul, just don't get this together. only in america. >> i want to ask you guys a little bit about the idea of a political speech or policy speech, i heard it, too, when he talked about that we cannot mistake absolutism for

principle, it seemed like he was speaking to house republican, am i right? >> as i said he went after them on the takers, the absolutism made the point we have to act now. >> amazing shot there in the rotunda of the capital. thank you very much, mark, as they head in to do ceremonial work and signing, the president and vice president. i'm sorry, david. >> i was just saying he will have discussion now in the country. i think it's good. i think he's learned and frankly over the four years he taking by force of personality he could be a transcending force. he's learned he can't be. he's picked a team, that team is innate to him and he's made i thought an extremely eloquent speech for that side. so i think could in some way an opening for a more honest discussion about what the country should be. >> anyone surprised by the specific things he brought up,

he mentioned climate change, mentioned tax reform, it was a small -- not a big laundry list but a small list. >> he addressed a generational side, we're not going to sacrifice or surrender our responsibility of the generation made this country on the altar of getting the generation. we as americans can do both. >> talking about the generation. >> that we have responsibility to those who made the country and those that will make the next counsel tree that will be america, whether it's education or training or whatever else. i just wanted to give just shout out to the brooklyn tabernacle choir. which i thought was just phenomenal. also lamar alexander, which was really exceptional and the -- not that the others weren't fine but they were. i thought the poet was great.

>> that gives us an opportunity to speak more broadly about the ceremony it wasn't just the speech. the speech is at the heart of it, we can come back to that. we'll watch the president, vice president, go in to a room in the capital which they're going to sign the four nominations to the people he has mentioned that he is going to nominate for cabinet. let's see if we can listen in. >> he's going right to work now. >> lamar alexander, chuck schumer, vice president biden.

house speaker boehner. eric cantor and nancy pelosi. >> ronald reagan established the tradition of going right to sign these kinds of documents for nominations. >> thank you very much, everybody. >> thank you. [ applause ] >> at a time when we know that washington is divided by one of the -- president made in his

speeches that victories are only part for consection for big optimistic day. you were going to say something before we went -- >> i thought that the tone -- were having debate, selective, not selective, i think there is one very important thing that he seemso beignalling which is that th really was not a speech to washington at all. it was a speech about bringing the american people together, and a lot of people criticized obama in his first term for kind of being this great community organizer, running this fantastic popular campaign in 2008 then retreating in to washington really, closing up the doors and not taking advantage of that not building popular support for his policies. i do think we're seeing, this is something that franklin roosevelt was really a genius at. he said, okay, you want me to do this thing, can out there, organize and force me to do it.

>> richard, what about going to gwen's question of the whole event. not just the address but everything we saw. >> well, i heard people say, why do we have a second inaugural. or such big -- why do we spend all this money, why do we go through this every four years. that choir is the best answer that i can think of. that's why you have inauguration. this s a re-affirmation. in a country that desperately needs to re-affirm it's commonality. it's shared value, it's shared aspirations and that's what today is all about. it may seem artificial and tomorrow they will go back to fighting among themselves, which is all the more reason why we need to do it four years from now all over again. >> one of the things i found most striking you mentioned the choir, the choir was just

another example looking at the crowd, looking who was on t podium, who was chosen to participate, the word diversity has been devalued these days, it seemed like they kept coming around back to that theme in every single word even lamar alexander had to say, republicans, they were all agreed. very passing references to things like foreign policy. >> even when he talks about that people feeling the latch linking it to say direct reference to slavery and understanding that. he talks about the declaration, not everybody was a part of that. this was about bringing everybody in to th. 's making it sound normal, that this is not something that we should quibble about, it was there all along and this is about making it real. >> that was actually -- the blood draw by the sword is ref wren to lincoln. and the choir, the thing that struck me is the lyrics, he died

to make men holy. he change it in modern times to let us make men free. >> this is resolution. i don't know, he probably didn't dona. all of this together this is about -- >> one of the moments when johnf kennedy didn't wear a top hat that was considered this revolutionary changea social change. now we have a total revolution in how we see ourselves. >> i just think that the references to lincoln, to martin luther king, were not very overt. they were -- even reference to martin luther king came in one line, not even saying his name, the king. >> echo. >> could have been very over-determined speech. the theme that they pick the out they were going to be more overt references to civil war, to king's speech. but they were very subtle. >> just two things. we talked about what the

inaugural is and just lamar alexander, he had been a presidential candidate himself came within eyelash if he had won new hampshire. >> many people on that podium, yes. >> you mentioned he had been governor of tennessee, president of th university. he spoke about our most conspicuous enduring symbol. the restraint to to get result, quoting washington. that was particularly good. and i thought blanco was terrific. he brought the togetherness, the unity of it so well. the sun and moon and sky that we all share. i thought the whole event worked very well and chuck schumer brought sort of a world wrestling enthusiasm. >> brooklyn. >> only time you see lamar

alexander quoting from -- >> his state pride there. >> i want to bring this back to some of the thing in the speech. we know this is we're seeing -- we're not seeing it, we could see the view from the congressional luncheon that bill and hillary clinton greeting john lewis, congressman from georgia and others as they begin to file in for this luncheon, a familiar -- talking to senator shelby right now. a familiar view. but i'm also interested, white house let it be known before this that this is not going to be a state of the union speech. that happens in february. they aren't going in to great detail but he did mention quite a fair amount, david, of policy issues. talked about climate change along with health care, he talked about the deficit in passing, medicare and medicaid. you have to do that, maybe as second termer? >> i was struck how much climate change, he did have immigration, i was struck i'm

not sure there is policy implications by familiar sis on gay rights. you think where the country was ten years ago, where barack obama was three years ago. so that's quite a departure. but i do think the climate change and mention of the word equality, seven mentions of the word equality. that's about building middle class wages. so that was implicit in a lot of the speeches. >> it is fascinating, that president obama, people of the united states that the issues he talked about, quality of wages, full gay rights and same-sex marriage have really come so far. they are so much less controversial than they were four years ago. i think one line that i think captured the speech was, my fellow americans, we are made for this moment and we will seize it and we do it together. trying to capsulate what he

said, i think that to me was -- >> looking out going secretary, secretary of treasurer timothy geithner. i'm curious what mark said about expectations for moments like this, not only for the speech but for this moment. this recalibration of our american trajectory. am i overstating that? >> probably. i got caught up in it. >> a little bit like oscar night. too much anticipation -- you don't really remember -- >> what are your expectations -- >> the president knows that -- i thought it was curiously pugnatious speech in some ways. you know, it was almost a challenge. in some ways challenge to his

fellow liberals. for a long time liberal has been a word that people run away from in this country. maybe they use progressive as a substitute. but clearly it was a challenge to the republicans who control the house and who have controlled much of the debate. >> i think one of the things we were talking about code before, i think one of the things that's interesting this goes back to what annette was saying as well, that it was this real embrace of american exceptionalism to say, something special about the nighted states. that is a signal in this whole debate oop that's going about, is america in decline. look at bill clinton's inaugural he sai wel maybe -- we have to constrain our ambition, that was really his message in the '90s. this is a moree pan sieve vision than that, in ab attempt to be on the side of america. >> is it more that kind of tone rather than specific lines that

you think will be remembered? >> i think the tone will be remembered. it depends on how he latches his policy on to what he's saying here. he's going to talk about gun control, he's going to talk about immigration reform then we'll have chance to see if everybody is going to follow along. we can do all of this. i wonder what people -- i know what people in the world any about that when americans go on and on how we are this special place that, the hope of the world. but all of this will depend on what he actually does. melding the policy through the words. >> mark and david? >> he did say as well, that he respected other nations and their democratic decisions which is a matter some of controversy at this point in certain quarters. and talked about engaging, that coverage -- courage to engage as owe positivessed to confront. i think -- as opposed to confront. people still accuse him of being a socialist, but i don't think

they can call him a european social list. >> he's an american socialist. 190s movement. >> we have few more moments your final thoughts? >> it was a good speech. i thought frankly i thought last couple big speeches from him, the convention speech, even first inaugural were a bit of a let down. i don't think this was a let down. i think this was a very good and very eloquent summation of what he believes and gets us off on a good start for debate. >> your final thoughts? >> i agree. i think it's a different theme that he is sounding, i come back to the -- that's important. be interested to see where it go with state of the union. >> as the day goes along there is going to be a big parade down pennsylvania avenue we'll have bands and -- >> the pomp continues. >> and ceremony. but next stop is congressional lunch whicwill be at the national hall right by the

capitol there hosted by the joint committee. you have to go online find some wonderful recipes of what they will be serving. we're about to watch some of that, we're looking now at out going secretary of defense, leon panetta talking to diane feinstein. and with that, we will now enter special coverage of the second inauguration of president barack obama and joe biden. >> i'm jeffrey brown our coverage of tonight's and tonight's festivities continues online we'll see you here tonight at our regular "newshour" time. we leave you with the repries of the the brooklyn tabernacle choir and their rendition of the battle him of republic. have a good afternoon. ♪ glory, glory, hallelujah since i laid my burden down.

♪ glory, glory, hallelujah his truth is marching on ♪ his truth is marching on ♪

>> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

an association of independent, locally operated, and community based blue cross and blue shield companies. for more than 80 years, blue cross and blue shield companies have offered health care coverage in every zip code across the country, and supported programs that improve the health and wellness of individual members and their communities. the blue cross and blue shield association's mission is to make affordable health care available to all americans. news about our innovations is online at... the university of rochester medical center, rochester, new york. ♪ >> welcome to "second opinion," where you get to see first-hand how some of the country's

leading health care professionals tackle health issues that are important to you. i'm your host, dr. peter salgo, and today i'm happy to welcome dr. susan mcdaniel, from the univsityf roestemedil center; our "second opinion" primary care physician, dr. lisa harris; gretchen robinson, spiritual coordinator from massachusetts; donna schuurman from the dougy center in portland, oregon; and terry congdon, who's here to share his personal experience -- an experience that our panelists, along with you at home, are going to be hearing for the first time -- so, let's get right to work, shall we? now, terry, five years ago, you and your wife were at home resting from several days of parties, because your daughter had just graduated high school. r name was hanna can you take us through what happened later that evening? >> certainly -- um, she had planned to go to a cottage -- friend's cottage -- a couple hour's drive from our home outside of rochester, just for a couple of nights of

relaxation, sunbathing, spending some time at the lake. this is five days after her graduation from high school. and, um, they had to leave rather late, because one of the girls had to work, and, so, i think they were on the road, a two-lane highway, at around 10:00 at night, passing another ca and, don't really know the exact details of the incident, but the driver overcorrected back into the oncoming lane and hit a tractor-trailer, and the girls were killed immediately. there was actually a second car behind their car, filled with friends -- so, they witnessed the whole thing. >> you were at home -- how did you hear about the accident? >> actually, um, i have a very sweet memory of hannah, the last time i saw her. i do a lot of conference calls for work. i was on a conference call in the evening when she was finalizing her plans and getting ready to g-- iwas around 10:00 p.m. and she handed me a note, and said, "bails is picking me up, bye, love you." and i was on the phone, and i really couldn't, uh, speak with

her, but i waved her back for a hug before she left the house. then i completed my call, and a neighbor called -- her daughter is also a good friend of our daughter, hannah -- she wasn't with them at the time. and she said, "i don't really know the details, i don't know the circumstances, but i believe that the girls were involved in an accident. from someone in authority, they told you to dohat? >> well, actually, the way we found out is that, we drove to thompson hospital in canandaigua, which is in the general direction that the girls were going. and that was kind of a gathering point. we had heard that the girls were going to be brought there. and, so, their friends -- word got around town that this had happened, so a lot of our friends, or the girls' friends, showed up at the hospital and were just waiting around for someone to, you know, formally make a statement about what happened. >> now, at that point, with the girls going to the hospital, that situation gets a lot darker, doesn't it? >> right.

>> what were you thinking then? >> well, you're thinking that, um, it's obviously serious enough that they require hospital treatment, but then again, you have some hope that they're taken to the hospital, so, this is an injury, this is something that they're going to -- you know, life is going to go on. so, i think that, that was our primary thought. but then as we spent more time at the hospital -- and it took quite a while for people to gather, for the, you know, for the authorities to realize, you know, have their story togethermake sure that they're not miscommucati... just, as more time went on, you realize that, "this is not good." i think we saw a priest show up, and this, you know this is not a good sign. so, you start to get this, this sinking feeling that this is just not going to turn out in a favorable way. >> you say that now you've had some time to process all of this, but embedded in that statement, "this is not going to turn out in a favorable way," you're sitting there, wondering, now maybe expecting your daughter is dead. >> right. >> this is your daughter. >> we had come to that

conclusion before we were told. >> oh, my god -- what did that feel le? [ exhales ] >> it's -- that night -- i have a lot of memories of hannah and of her life and life after her accident -- it's been five years now... but, thinking about that particular night and some of the things that were said and some of the things that we experienced, is probably the most poignant, i guess i would say, because there are other events in her life that we have very good memories of -- birthdays, christmas, holidays, vacations, things of that nature. but june 26 is... there's nothing good about at day. >> what happened then? you were with your other daughter, right -- elizabeth? >> right, she had just finished her second year in college, so, she's older than her sister. and the three of us piled in the car and drove to canandaigua. so, the three of us were together at the hospital. >> how, exactly, did they tell you that hannah was dead? >> uh... it was ontario county sheriff's deputies that gathered, um, the families that were the parents of the girls that were there.

not all the girls' parents were there -- three of us were there, three of the five, 'cause there were five girls killed. and, uh, they basically said, "okay, well, we're ready to speak to y now and so we were brought into a room, and there were -- so, there were six of us -- mother, father of three of the girls. and they -- they, uh, just walked in and, uh -- i can't remember a lot of details, but it was like, um... you know, "there was an accident, brace yourself, because there were fatalities," and then they read off the names. i can't even -- for, sometimes i try and remember whose name came first, whose name came second. but i can't really recall that. it's not important, anyway. >> salgo: after receiving that news, what did you do? >> elizabeth was outside with friend, a neighb. we just went out, immediately said, "she's gone." and the three of us went outside, and it was a beautiful summer night -- a warm night. we sat on a bench, just the three of us, and, um... talked, cried, commiserated

with each other. and then, it was actually -- and our whole experience since the accident has been much like this, in that the community -- neighbors, friends -- there were a lot of people there. cry, visit with us. by to hug, we called our families, you know, to notify them, things of that nature. >> now, it's five girls -- five high school girls, in a community that's not all that how did the community respond? >> wonderfully. there's been events around town, there are -- there's a memorial gazebo in our neighborhood that our neighbors built. they had a beautiful celebration of life at fairport high school on august 1. the girls were killed on june 26. just, and our school colors are red -- the whole place was awash in red. um, just, a number of amazing tributes and support and things of that nature. so, that's one of the things that's helped us tremendously. >> i was going to ask --

does it help that the community did that? does it help that there was this outpouring from the community of grief and sympathy? or, is this something that you were dealing with internally, and no one can help you? >> actually, it's tremendously helpful. um, people would approach us, perhaps, in the grocery store, and would want to talk and i'd get a hug, or we would get a hug. and they might apologize for bringing this up ain, or bringing hannah's name up again. and it's not like there's a day that goes by in our lives that we don't think about her anyway. so, it's, really, it's -- it's good, it's not bad. >> i remember being here. and, i think, you know, a death, especially an untimely death, is always a family event, but this was a community event. and it was so shattering, you know, i think to everybody. and it sort of coalesced everybody's sense of the promise of these young girls being nipped in the bud, and this happening. and i really remember how we all

talked about it, we all thought about you. >> we feel very fortunate and... "fortunate" is a strange term, perhaps, to use, because of something so devastating to happen, but we have a tremendous support network of family, neighbors, friends. our jobs were wonderful. marilyn, my wife, had just started with a new -- a new agency quite soon -- right around the time of the accident. and she was, you know, given time off from work, and they sort of easeher back into work. my work was very supportive, in terms of people picking up projects that i had worked on. and i was off for three -- i think we were both off for three weeks. and then when we finally went back to work, sort of easing back into it again, not taking anything that was really taxing. >> i was just thinking that, um, you know, that the grief that the family experiences is something that we can't even begin to fathom. but as susan mentioned, this is a community event, and the grief that the community feels is also something that we don't often tap into, you know?

how did the -- her friends at her school feel? and, you know, people thathe did extracurricular activities with, or the medical community. or even people that didn't even know her, to stop and think that, this could be my child. it's something that could have happened to anyone -- and, how do we help the community deal with grieving? >> i'm struck by how three weeks off of work -- because most people get, you know, three paid days under the best circumstances. i'm struck by the school in august opening up to -- when they're closed -- to have a community event, because i can assure you, a lot of places in this country, the schools say, you know, "we can't do any kind of memorials." a lot of families that i've worked with at the dougy center do not have that kind of community support. and without that, i'm afraid their stories of feeling supported end up very different from what you're sharing. >> i agree with you, donna,

and i think that's why we feel very, very fortunate. >> salgo: i don't think any of us can feel the anguish that you must have felt, and the anguish of your community. but, you know, someone studied is, right kubler-ross. and she went through all of these stages of grief, all these stages of acceptance -- ending in acceptance of -- >> except that kubler-ross's stages of grief was really about the process that a person who is dying was experiencing. and she never meant it to be sequential, and, you know, that you have to do it in some orderly fashion. >> i think that the distinction that needs to be made between something like hospice, where i work, or this, was a sudden death, it was unexpected, it was out of time, it's out of time for a daughter to lose her life before her parents. and with a hospice case or something like that, it's called "anticipatory grief." you have a chance to say

the things you need to say to your loved one. >> but not everybody takes that chance. >> not everybody takes that. >> but there is some concordance, isn't there? i mean, kubler-ross went through shock and denial, pain and guilt, anger and bargaining, depression, reflection, loneliness, then acceptance and hope. anwhether it's youhat are going through all of these things, because you have time, having been given some diagnosis, or it's you, who have had this catastrophic event, you process this -- at least, that's my understanding, in similar ways. not necessarily in that exact sequence -- or am i way off base? >> i think -- i'm not saying you're off base, necessarily, but i think that every person's experience is different, and every person's experience is unique. and that, to try to put it into, as some sort of formula, is not really helpl. and also that, grief is beyond, and deeper than, words... language. so, all of our theories, our attempts to explain something

that's beyond words. >> so, poetry, prayer, ritual. you know, those people coming up to you in the supermarket and giving you a hug, they were ministering to you. it's not just clergy who minister, it's a whole community ministered to you. what an extraordinary story. >> it's interesting, also, when we talk about church and we talk aboufaith, tha uh, i've talked with friends that go to our church, that knew the girls very well -- it's a small community -- and they might make comments like, "it's really shook my faith, and i have doubts, because such a tragic thing would happen to five young girls." and i -- i can honestly say that it hasn't really happened that way with me, and i find i don't blame anyone -- i don't blame god, i don't blame the driver, i don't blame anyone. it just happened, um, so... >> i think that speaks to what you were saying about how different people are in their experiences. because, certainly, we all know many people who do blame god,

who do blame the driver, et cetera, and i -- >> or who are not supported by their faith community. >> well, i was going to say, and the research shows pretty clearly that the more cohesive your family -- the more cohesive the community, the better it predicts resilience later. and you have clearly, you know, are resilient as an individual and in your family, and the community, as well. and i think part of that is the cohesion that was there before the tragedy. >> one of the thgs i have to y that i'mxtremely proud of is our family, in the way we've reacted to this. because, um, i think my wife and i are probably better friends with each other than we were before, and are closer than before. our daughter, our older daughter, has done very well. you know, she went back to college, finished college, she's about ready to graduate from law school. so, we have a lot of blessings. >> in my practice, i've seen way too many events where children have passed out of time, and the response has been variable, it's been all over the map.

some families pull together and have an experience similar to yrs, and some are completely devastated. and, in each case, as, you know, the primary, you really have to stop and take it -- take the cues from the family -- what can i offer you, how can i support you? >> and on a more pragmatic level, how does this grieving affect your physical health? does it make you sick? if so, how? >> it certainly can, absolutely. you can have just about any type of physical complaint, from headaches to dizzy spells, to nausea, to chest pain, to gastric upset, to loss of weight and appetite, to weight gain. pretty much any symptom. >> so, what do you suggest as a practici cliniciano e survivors to help them cope? >> well, again, you have to take the cues from the patient. it depends on where they are in this process. some people are ready to hear that they -- they may be amenable to getting counseling or psychotherapy, they may be amenable to pastoral care. it's really just trying to understand where they are in this process. um, we certainly talk about making sure they're able to sleep well, make sure that

they're eating well, make sure that there are people around them that can support them, helping them to understand that there may be other types of physical ailments that they may experience, and that's normal and expeed. and don't pressure yourself to get back to normalcy, and to run back to work and activity. >> a lot of the families that we see are experiencing complications because they're not getting support from other people. and a lot of the things that both children and parents talk about at the dougy center are how they don't feel supported by their extended family and other communities that they thought would rally to them. >> salgo: terry, did you get help? >> we went to a therapist. i -- one thing i would say is that you might not necessarily strike a balance or have a good rapport with the first one that you visit. and i think -- i think i ended up seeing perhaps three by the time i really connected with someone that i felt comfortable

with, and, um... >> that's such an important point -- you really do need to feel comfortable and have faith in whoever you're working with. >> i want to pause just for a minute, i want to sum-up a little bit about what we've been talking about just so far. grief is a natural response to loss, it is the emotional suffering that y feel when something or someone you love is taken away. trying to ignore the pain or keep it from surfacing may -- may -- only make it worse in the long run; it can affect your health, but for some people, i think i heard from lisa, maybe that's some way to cope, as well. not everybody is the same. but it's worth knowing that you should acknowledge, or at least feel you're allowed to acknowledge the grief and the pain. well, we're talking with terry, who is sharing his story about the death of his teenage daughter, hannah. and you've taken a journey, obviously, through the process of loss and the process of grie tell me a little bit what that journey was like for you. how did you work through it? did you follow this kubler-ross process at all? [ sighs ]

>> i think that, in terms of the phases of grief, i think it changes -- you go in -- i don't think it's a progression. i think you might go into another phase, and then you might regress back to another phase. one of the things that i think is very true, if i look at my wife and i, we were in different places at different times. perhaps that's why they say that it's such a source of marital stress, because you're not moving on at the same point, or not moving on at all, or moving backward. and, uh, so, i have to say that that's one thing i'm very proud of, is that, when one of us was feeling energetic and more normal, one of us was feeling exhausted and, just, emotionally and physically, we gave each other that freedom to feel whatever way you had to feel. >> is there a single best way to work through these feelings of grief and loss? >> i don't think there's a single best way, but i think the underlying principle is to allow yourself and others to

feel what they feel, and to express or not express in the ways that they're most comfortable. >> now, there's something else out there -- it's called "complicated grief." now, how can grief, this primal emotion of loss and suffering, how can it be complicated at all? >> well, i think all grief is complicated. prolonged grief disorder is what the latest terminology has been, which i'm not a fan of for a lot of reasons. and one reason is, i think it implies in that name, you're taking too long; your grief is prolged, and that's a disorder. and i have concerns about us pathologizing what is a normal response. you grieve as deeply as you loved. >> i completely agree with donna that people have their own course. however, i do think there is a group of people that get stuck. and they often had complicated relationships with the person who died, or it was a very tragic situation -- they didn't

have the support that you have. there are people who do have a complicated grief reaction. it's more intense, it's longer, and they do need to have some professional help. >> but i think that we live in a society that too often wants to say things like, "well, there's a time you should be over it," and we don't use terminology -- like, grief doesn't have an ending line. it's -- it's really about addressing and remembering. and we don't provide a lot of opportunities for remembering and staying connected. >> what i feel is a tremendous coping mechanism, or tool, if you will, is, we try to see the positive in what's going on around us every day. i think we try and focus on the good things that people are doing around us, that we're doing, the good things -- the many blessings or good things that are happening in our life. and i think that, that gives you a more positive outlook, going forward. >> that's a tremendously healthy coping style. and i think that there are other people -- >> it's worked for us.

>> who really need to process anger and resentment and very deep negative feelings in order to get to the place where they can look at the blessing. >> i think that what's helping this family is their religion, their community. they're embedded in a community, and many people in this country are not. you know, there's been a tremendous loss of community and connections with people. so, you know, i would just say, you know, build up your community and your connections, because this kind of thing can happen to any one of us at any moment. >> salgo: i want to go back very quickly to this whole concept of complicated grief, or whatever you'd like to call it. there's this -- there's a list. extreme depression, focus on the loss, intense longing -- that just goes on, and you get stuck, i thinkwas the phrase that you used. if someone has these symptoms, what do you do about it? is there medical intervention that works? >> well, i think, first of all, all those symptoms are probably normal for a while. and what i really look at is,

are they interfering with the person's functioning. otherwise, a lot of those things are normal and can continue for a long time. >> but i think when they're interfering with people's functioning, and it's gone on for, really, a long time -- >> years. then you want the person to see their primary care doctor, and the primary care doctor, hopefully, has a very close -- lisa -- then refers them to me. has a close connection and a good collaborative relationship. >> terry, you reached out in addition to whatever else you were doing... into the community, into the world at large, to do something in hannah's honor. >> mm-hmm. >> i'm guessing that was to help you, as well as to other people. >> that's another wonderful blessing that we have in our life. um, she had gone -- her junior year in high school, she had gone with a fairport high school ip on a humanitarian visit to india, actually, to visit the areas that were ravaged by the tsunami. and she struck up a friendship with dr. bill cala and his wife,

joanne, who was, at the time, our superintendent of schools. and he has since retired, and they formed a foundation where they're building schools and other sorts of structures in kenya and in tanzania. and, so, after the accident, we designated "joining hearts and hands," which is their organization, to be sort of our charity of choice. and the, um -- through fundraisers, or through just the kindness of people, or through a variety of means, the contributions were significant, and we've actually built a school, which is -- and we're adding classrooms on as money comes in. so, we're up through the fifth grade right now. and we actually had an opportunity to go over for the grand opening of the school, for a mass to recognize the opening of the school, and then for a celebration, visit the school. >> so, you've transformed your loss into... >> it's wonderful -- so, we have a connection with some place we can, from time toime. to as >> salgo: so, let's pause for

a moment and sort of sum-up what we've been discussing so far. grief can be complicated. it's important for you to work, sometimes, with your health care team, if grief is affecting your health or your daily life, and is going on far too long. and whether it is through conversation, or acts of goodness, connecting to others can help you heal. is that fair, terry? >> congdon: mm-hmm, very fair. and as gretchen said, i agree with her 100%, that this happens to a lot of people, and it's a natural part of life. i mean, 's unavoidable, some extent. you insulate yourself a bit, you think, "it's not going to happen to me, it's not going to happen at this age," but sometime -- it has to happen to someone. >> mm-hmm, it does happen. >> and it's, uh, not something that should be squashed or held down -- it has to be experienced, and you have to work your way through it, i believe. >> terry, how are you doing? >> actually, quite -- quite well. we certainly miss her tremendously, but we realize, as i said, we -- we aren't the only family that has experienced a devastating loss.

there are a lot of people that are much worse off than we are in the wld. and wery and remember that. >> well, i want to thank you for being here -- that is all the time we've got. i hope that you can continue the conversation on our web site. there, you're going to find the entire video of this show, as well as the transcript, and links to resources. the address is: well, thank you for watching, thank all of you for being here, and, of course, especially you. >> my pleasure, enjoyed it very much. >> it's a pleasure to have met you. i'm dr. peter salgo, and i'll see you again next time for another "second opinion."

is provided by the blue cross and ue shield association, an associationf independen calloperat, and community based blue cross and blue shield companies. for more than 80 years, blue cross and blue shield companies have offered health care coverage in every zip code across the country, and supported programs that improve the health and wellness of individual members and their communities. the blue cross and blue shield association's mission is to make affordable health care available to all americans. news about our innovations is online at... the university of rochester medical center, rochester, new york.